Jesus changes the verdict John 8:9 NLT — When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Thank you Jesus for the gift of life. Thank you for your blood that removes all stains in my life. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for always giving us a new hope. May the Holy Spirit give us strength to draw near you regardless of circumstances. Holy Spirit speak to us this morning. I pray in Jesus's name, amen. This is something very important to take note of in this bible passage. It was not the crowd that brought the condemned woman to Jesus. It was a group of accusers made up of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees. Brethren, we need to be wary of the real reasons we are holding positions in the body of Christ, the church. When you are given a position in church and some grain of bitterness still sits in the corners of your heart, the church will suffer from words hardened like stones. Was there no other way of bringing this matter to Jesus? The law given by Moses armed them with stones. What is your reaction when you and I are confronted by such a situation in our daily lives? What are you holding in your heart and hands. When you feel forgiveness has run away from you, and the matter has been transferred from the heart to the hands, what is your next action? The accusers brought the woman to Jesus, not with the intention to seek protection from the law that was against Exodus 20:13, but their aim was to trap Jesus. There were holding on to verse 14. But one cannot read the laws in isolation. This is why forgiveness overpowers all sin. When Jesus wrote in the sand, Peter should have helped us ask what had been written. In my own opinion, Jesus was searching each accusers’ heart. They all failed the forgiveness test. A person who doesn't forgive, has pride overflowing in the heart. Unforgiving arms one with stones. Lord, help me to carry a forgiving heart. It is never easy, but it is the only springboard that can lift me higher and faster to a relationship with you. Instead for the accusers to repent and ask Jesus for forgiveness, they walked away. I am sure they could not take their stones with them. However, leaving the stones unused was evidence that stones were not the answer. In our families, let us put the stones down. Differences are not resolved by war. Differences are best resolved when we come to Jesus. Just one incident, Jesus dismantled the law of Moses that encouraged the breaking of the law of love. Thank God, the crowd remained to witness the final outcome of the case. Jesus did not take time to give a verdict. He dismissed the death sentence and gave back her life. However, with an encouragement for the woman to change her lifestyle. The crowd was in witness. Let us always bring our matters of the heart to Jesus before death envelopes our life. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to be able to forgive one another. May we pray that our hearts are empty of the evil spirit of always accusing others. Read Romans 14:4. Elder Josphat Murape +260976749389 17/6/2025